>>326344
I studied there for a year and I'm still not quite sure how they see homosexuality, in part because the Japanese tend to simply not say what they think.
Japan used to have a somewhat ancient Greek attitude towards same sex relationships: they were tolerated, as long as you still got married and had children. There was in particular a kind of pederasty tradition for samurai and monks. Male prostitutes were popular, often young kabuki actors playing female roles who also prostitued themselves. So it's not like it was solely a thing of the upper classes, the middle, city dwelling classes did it too. All these traditions faded out during Japan's quick modernisation the late 19th century, though.
Now, I don't think anyone would get physically attacked for being gay. Or even insulted. At worst, people might talk about you behind your back. Two men being affectionate in public would probably raise a few eyebrows, though. Homosexuals and gay relationships are represented in media, though often treated as a joke or fetishized. While I don't think gays are hated, there might be a form of incomprehension, maybe some distrust, I guess? They don't have religious taboos related to homosexuality like we might see in the West, but they have very strong taboos related to conforming to society. Overall, I wouldn't say Japan is an homophobic country, but saying it's gay-friendly might be a stretch.
Since this is a thread about manga, I strongly recommend "Otouto no Otto" or My Brother's Husband.